Just wondering what your opinions are of The Truth, Paul Pierce. He's been absolutely killing it this year and was just named player of the week and was also second in player of the month for February. If he can somehow lead the Celtics to the playoffs I think he will have an outside shot at the MVP. Where do you think he ranks against the other superstars in the leauge? How good is he?

Also, check this new Pierce vid out Pierce halftime vid. Its on fire.

I can't see him getting the MVP with Kobe, Iverson, and Lebron doing so well.. Pierce is a good player but he isn't in my top 5.. Maybe top 10-20

I like him better than Gilbert Arenas

he's vastly underrated, and is stuck w/ a bad coach and gm. they should trade him.

you really think danny ainge is a bad gm? granted he made a terrible trade for reaf lefrentz and has had some questionable offseason moves but his drafting has been steller. Gomes, Jefferson, Perkins, West, Allen, and Green have all been complete steals. However, I do agree, Doc Rivers is a terrible coach and Pierce is very underrated nationwide.

Pierce had a steller run of games, but mvp no way. The celtics are not a great team, and there are still others deserving. Currently my only real picks for mvp candidates this year would be Chauncey billups, elton brand, kobe bryant, and steve nash. In my personal opinion i think elton brand should get it if it was decided now. He's had an amazing year, and look how much the clippers have improved.

I would like to see how PP does on a good team. He has to take a lot of shots for the Celtics to be competitive, so he looks selfish at times. I think he could be even better if he didn't have to be the go-to guy every night.

like when he was with toine paul pierce is another from the long line of superstars who is a me first player and that means that he will never win anything. What I think is funny would be to have a team of these guys, iverson and marbury in the backcourt, pierce and I guess Stevie Franchise in the frontcourt and kmart at the 5. It would be a little team that wouldn't play much d against anyone, so it wouldn't be unnatural for them.

Wow....you didn't even NAME the player who will win the MVP this year. Wow...Neither Kobe, Iverson, nor Lebron are even close to the real MVP this year....come on now....the choice is obvious.

Are you joking or serious?

Just in case you are being serious, the string of draft picks you pointed out is exactly why the Celtics (and Ainge) are so bad. He completely went for potential over current production. Ainge is hoping to hit lotto, and with amount of chances he's taking, he's bound to hit someday. At that point he will look like a genius. That of course assumes that one of his picks becomes a star before Ainge gets fired. I'm betting he gets canned first.

Seriously, Ainge has a top 10 player in Pierce who is in his prime. They might be better off drafting someone who can help now rather than some kid who MIGHT produce 5 years from now.

Are you being serious???

Jefferson has been playing consistent, productive minutes since last year. Some intelligent sources (Hollinger, etc.) consider him to have the most offensive potential of all the young bigs in the league.

Delonte West was injured last year and in his first real year at the point he has become the one or two best pg's in his draft class.

Perkins is playing for the first time in three years and is now a starting center for an nba team at the ripe age of 22. He is also one of top 5 rebounders in the game on a per minute basis.

Tony Allen was an NBA starter last year after being drafted late in the first round. He was a starting player on an NBA Playoff team in his rookie year and playing over Ricky Davis. Injuries have held him back this year and he has missed significant time.

Ryan Gomes is a second round pick also starting on an NBA team. How many second round picks from the last draft are starting right now? And since you are going to say the Celtics suck and that is the reason he is starting, go to nba.com and see that he is considered one of the top 10 rookies this year on their rookie page.

Gerald Green is a question mark since he has not played consistently yet. He has a chance to be the big player in 5 years you refer to.

I find it amusing that you believe these picks to be "all Potential." Based on current production, each and every one of these players would go higher in the draft (outside of Green which is debatable), if the drafts were redone today. So basically, my question is this: What the hell are you talking about?

Amazing that from one paragraph I can tell you either dont watch much NBA or are simply an idiot. Since I'm too lazy to type, just read This and then apologize.

pierce has been one of the top 5 players in the league in the 2nd half. scores tons of points with a good % and can rebound. he has the ability to come back from a poor start and hit 7 straight shots. is he the mvp? nope.

steve nash clear mvp (in my eyes anyway)

You find my "potential" comment ammusing, but yet you use that very word in your post. I stand by my comments and I think you basically proved my point. When a GM takes 3 high schoolers in 3 years, I think that qualifies as man looking for potential.

Sure if the drafts were held again "maybe" some of these guys would go higher, buts thats always the case. That's mainly because other "potential" picks are flat out busts. I would have to look at "all" the rookies to see where people would go.

And I am not impressed by any of the stats on these players either. I will give rookies a break, but after their second year, you usually know what you're getting. There are late bloomers who dont start really producing until year 3, but those are very rare occurances. Just from a statistical standpiont I wouldnt hold my breath on any of these guys.

I will only concede one point (which you didnt even bring up btw). It is possible that Doc Rivers is such a bad coach that he is actually hurting the developement of these young players. Usually thats not the case, but with Doc you never know.

Here's what I think of all the first round picks Ainge has made (or traded for at draft time like he did in 2003). I might miss a couple because of trades and such.

Marcus Banks - selected 15th (2003) - So good he was traded this year, but he only averaged 5.5 points anyway. Not good for pick that high, but he is doing better for the Wolves (Doc factor). He might start for a while, but I see him bouncing around a lot
Kendrik Prekins - selected 27th (2003) - in his 3rd year he putting up 5 ppg and 6 rpg, despite having every opportunity to play. When does the potential label wear off? After the 3rd year which should be over any minute now.
Al Jefferson - selected14th (2004) - in his second year 8ppg and 5 rpg despite every opportunity to play. He has a very small chance of getting better, but I think this is as good as it gets for him. Dwight Howard (another high scholler who was in this same draft!) he is NOT.
Deleonte West - selected 24th (2004) - I'll give Ainge credit this is a good pick. Nice production from a low first rounder. Looks like he'll be a starter for a while. Not an All-star, but not many players from this level are All-star caliber anyways. Good pick except...
Tony Allen - selected 25th (2004) - Ainge drafted this guy who was basically the same size as West (and Banks was already on the team). Not sure what Ainge was doing here. Safe to say this one didnt pan out, but what make it worse was that he already had 2 guys who played the same spot. Absolutely terrible pick.
Gerald Green - selected 18th (2005) - While the jury might still be out, here's the bottom line. 17 teams passed on this guy and now he is the NBDL. Doesnt sound like a star to me. Any player who is worth something (even a high schooler) can find a way to get on the floor for an OK team. Green could not. That doesnt look good.

So out of 6 players only one, West, looks like keeper. And I'm chalking that pick up as luck since he already had Banks and drafted Allen right after him. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut. The rest of the picks are nothing but "potential" at this point that would be good bench guys for other good teams right now. Maybe some of these guys bounce around the league and manage to have a 10 career, but I dont see star players there (good players maybe).

Like I said look at the numbers and the production (high schoolers or not). It's just not there.

I didnt even comment on Ainge's actuall managing of the club through trades and free angent signings, but I'm not too impressed. After all, HE did hire Doc Rivers!

i think paul pierce is a good player, but i just hate his style of play...he is so good with not moving his pivot foot it seems like he travels with all his pump fakes

i also hate how he gets the defender in the air and jumps into them on a daily basis like how reggie miller used to do them... that's weak

I've seen just about every game Pierce has played since he came into the league. Last year's playoff with Indiana was the all-time low.

But his play this year has been unbelievable. Anyone who questions his game right now simply has not been watching Celtic games. And anyone who doesn't have him in their top 10 of NBA players is grossly misinformed.

He doesn't deserve the MVP, but he deserves some votes.

Just read The Sports Guy's article about him. That sums it up nicely...

Actually, taking this kind of physical abuse during a game in order to lead the league in free throw attempts is pretty impressive.

Actually, the physical abuse that AI takes is wayyyyy more impressive~
but he doesn't play ***** like pierce does~